Rallycross Returns to Biķernieki at Full Speed – Latvian Drivers Among the Fastest After Day One of the FIA European Championship Season Opener
10.05.2026
On May 9, the FIA European Rallycross Championship season officially kicked off at the Biķernieki circuit with exceptionally intense qualifying races, where Latvian drivers confidently positioned themselves among the frontrunners in several classes after the opening day of competition.
The return of top level rallycross to Riga has clearly proven to be one of the most anticipated motorsport events of the season, highlighted not only by the impressive number of competitors, but also by packed grandstands and roaring ovations from spectators throughout the qualifying sessions. A total of 70 top level drivers from 19 countries lined up on the grid, showcasing speed, precision, powerful engine roars and incredibly intense battles right down to the final meters.
The day began with qualifying races in the RX5 category. Among 15 competitors, 16 year old Roberts Purmalis made his FIA European Rallycross Championship debut, competing in RX5 with a “wild card” entry. As the youngest driver in the category, he delivered a stable and highly competitive performance throughout qualifying, finishing fourth overall after three qualifying rounds.
“The day was good — for the first time in history we tested the FIA-specification ‘Hornet R1’ buggy. We are still searching for the optimal setup and haven’t fully understood the car yet, but we are very close. The speed is good, although there is still room for improvement. Tomorrow is a new day and we will start everything from scratch again. The goal for tomorrow is to drive consistently, avoid mistakes and reach the final,” said Roberts Purmalis after the qualifying races.
Latvian driver Ronalds Baldiņš also made his RX5 debut after joining the entry list from the waiting list and delivered a strong race day performance. His second qualifying session proved particularly successful, finishing second in his heat. At the end of the day Baldiņš ranked 10th overall. After three qualifying rounds in RX5, the top three positions were held by Estonian Martin Juga, German Tim Braumüller and another Estonian driver, Armin Raag.
In RX4, experienced Latvian driver Ivo Gabrāns impressed in the field of eight competitors, making a strong statement in his debut FIA European Rallycross Championship event by finishing third overall after three qualifying rounds.
“Amazing! A lot of spectators came today — thank you everyone! Looking ahead to tomorrow, there is still a lot of work to do. We will keep working on the car to achieve even better times, because although today’s result is respectable, it still felt like we could have done better. The goal for tomorrow is clear — we are going for the class victory,” said Gabrāns about his European Championship debut.
Lenards Patriks Lepsis also delivered a strong and competitive performance throughout the day, ending the first race day in fourth position in the RX4 category. Meanwhile, French driver Andrea Benezet moved into the overall lead after three qualifying rounds, ahead of Estonian rallycross driver Albert Åke Kokk.
RX3 delivered some of the fiercest qualifying battles of the day, where contact racing among 15 international drivers started already in the opening qualifying session and dramatic moments continued until the very end of qualifying. Antigua and Barbuda talent Nicolas Geleyns displayed excellent pace throughout the day, alongside one of Europe’s rising rallycross talents — Frenchman Julien Meunier, who confidently ended the day in first place ahead of Geleyns. Lithuanian driver Rytis Gurklys ranked third after three RX3 qualifying rounds.
In the prestigious RX1 category, 29 powerful Supercar class machines lined up on the grid, producing some of the most spectacular and unpredictable battles of the entire day. Latvian star Jānis Baumanis received tremendous support from the home crowd, taking the lead with brilliant starts in both the first and second qualifying sessions and winning both of his heats. In the third qualifying race, after extremely intense battles with Irish driver Patrick O'Donovan, Swedish driver Casper Jansson and Norwegian Johannes Rafoss, Baumanis finished third and ended the day seventh overall in RX1 standings.
“I achieved very good results in my class and had excellent starts in both the first and second qualifying sessions. Winning the third session would have been nice too, but not everyone wanted that, and as you can see, the rear of the car got damaged. I got pushed around and somehow had to save it. It was a ruined race in that sense, but overall I’m quite satisfied. Tomorrow we continue! Home track, full grandstands — thank you to everyone who came out. Let’s continue enjoying this. I’ll also try to enjoy it as much as possible and win as many races as I can,” said Jānis Baumanis at the end of the day.
RX1 featured extremely high international competition, with some of the world’s fastest and most dedicated rallycross drivers taking to the track. The races were filled with dramatic moments — spectators witnessed fierce contact battles, off-track actions and surprising twists throughout every qualifying session. These battles brought many motorsport fans back to the days when Riga hosted FIA World Rallycross Championship events — the drivers have lost none of their aggression, and the racing remains just as exciting, if not even more thrilling than before. Alongside the well known fan favorites, a new generation of talented newcomers has added even more intensity and excitement — the rallycross everyone had been waiting for has returned to Biķernieki.
Among the main RX1 favorites, Swedish superstar Johan Kristoffersson confidently established himself at the top of the standings, ending the day ahead of Norwegian Andreas Bakkerud and fellow Norwegian Ole Christian Veiby.
The FIA European Rallycross Championship season opener at Biķernieki will continue tomorrow with the decisive fourth qualifying sessions, quarter-finals, semi-finals and finals, where the fastest drivers of the opening round of the 2026 season will be crowned in all categories.
Sunday, May 10 Schedule
08:00 – Gates open for spectators
08:30 – Warm-up
09:26 – CC Mini Qualifying Round 3 (Q3)
10:00 – Qualifying Round 4 (Q4)
11:33 – Quarter-finals
12:47 – Semi-finals
14:22 – Finals
15:22 – Prize Giving Ceremony
